Servant and the Master
by aubreyposens
Summary: Set in the late 1890's in England, this alternative universe fanfic is a parallel to the Rumbelle story we all know and love. Belle French, a lowly peasant, is forced to work for the rich and menacing Lord Gold, the owner of a rather large estate, due to money problems. He requires more help around the castle, and over time, Belle finds there's more to Gold than most people know.
1. Chapter 1

The young maiden sat up groggily and looked around her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was laying down by a tree in the meadow to take a quick rest before continuing on down the road. She brushed her curly brown hair away from her face and looked at the horizon. It looked to be a little more than midday, which was definitely longer than she had expected to reside here for. She shielded her eyes from the sinking sun and sat up against the tree trunk. Her corset itched against the coarseness of the bark. She had to get up now, determined no more time was to be wasted. The young woman hastily gathered her few possessions and headed for the main road once again.

Upon walking further and further into the outskirts of town, the maiden could tell that everyone knew where she was going, and they observed her with interest and a slight edge of fear in their eyes. The brunette kept her head up high and didn't give into her own anxiety. She knew what had to be done, and that was that. Nobody would steer her away from her resolve.

As she walked, she could almost feel the air around her getting colder, seemingly tightening against her small figure. The stone beneath her feet gave way to black gravel as she drew away from the main road. A few heartbeats later, and the woman could see the trees that had previously enclosed the road become more scarce, and the castle loomed into view. It was every bit as dark as everyone had told her and more. The craggily walls with bricks seeming to be almost coming undone evoked a sense of danger. The door- if you could even call it that- was so large it could fit an elephant through and back. It was painted a very dark purple, unlike the black coating the rest of the castle was dripping with. The huge brass knocker only made it more intimidating for the young servant to be. It was the exact opposite of everything she had grown up knowing. Taking a deep breath to pull herself together, she banged on the door twice.

And then she saw him.


	2. Chapter 2

"You must be Belle. I trust you know who I am?" the man said. He was dressed in a very proper white and black suit with a small pin on the lapel. Lord Gold lived up to his name, with sleeve cuffs lined with gold and relying on a cane which also was adorned in gold. He looked differently than Belle had expected him to. From all the horror stories she'd been told growing up, she pictured Gold as some ugly beast that only a mother could love. Lord Gold was no beast, now that she could see him up close. His fair hair framed his face, which was neither kind nor mean. Around his eyes and mouth were crinkles that you can only receive through either smiling or frowning. His eyes were cold, and Belle could tell he was already critiquing her.

Belle bowed slightly and looked down. "Yes sir, this is she." She clutched her bag nervously. Suddenly she realized just how underdressed she was. Maybe this had been a bad idea after all.

Lord Gold looked at her, holding the oversized door open while Belle still stood outside. "Call me Master."

"Yes, Master," the girl replied quickly. He half smiled. A looker and quick to learn? She shall make a positive addition to his already magnificent estate. "Well, come in then," Gold said briskly. "You're letting in all the cold air."

Panicking, Belle hastily pushed past her new employer and entered the foyer of the manor. "I'm ever so sorry sir- I mean Master.." She trailed off, staring at the ground in mortification. Belle had heard tales of Golds short temper back home and feared she had started off her new job on a bad foot. She could hear chuckling behind her as Lord Gold pushed the door closed forcefully. "No matter," he said, entering the house and passing Belle in two quick but unsteady strides. She hurried to keep up with him as he continued to walk further into the castle.

For a moment, the sound of Gold's cane tapping against the marble floor was the only thing to be heard in the grand house as he led his new maid to her room. Belle wanted so much to talk to her new employer because she had so many questions about what her job consisted of, but did not open her mouth because she knew servants were only to speak when spoken too. Instead, she silently took in her surroundings.

Almost immediately following the entrance corridor, there was a huge opening in the structure of the house, where Belle assumed the society balls were held. Above, she could see multiple chandeliers hanging overhead on gold chains and a ceiling painted intricately with different stories from the Bible. It was so high up, Belle had to tilt her head up to see the full extent of it. A long, winding staircase brought the first floor to the second, and all around the rim of the second floor was a fence to further inclose the ballroom. Gold led her across the ballroom, finally speaking as he talked. "Exactly how did you come to be here? My housekeeper informed me of your incoming arrival today, and I don't usually get a lot of volunteers, or visitors for that matter." He laughed to himself. Belle took a second to respond. "My childhood friend came to work in the estate when she was but a teenager. We kept in correspondence through letters for years. My father... recently lost his job and we needed money desperately. After months without work, I suggested to him that I move to this estate in order to keep us alive. I remembered hearing from my friend that the pay was sufficient, so my father agreed that I should come here."

Gold faltered in his step and glanced behind him. At this point, they were across the ballroom and were making their way to the back of the house, which was where the servants's floor was. "You are very honest, considering this is is only your first day and I just met you." Belle's cheeks burned and she fingered the bottom of her dirty dress. They were in now in a tight hallway, and at the end Belle could see a steep staircase which she assumed led to the servants's quarters and kitchen. "That is how I was brought up, Master." Gold looked at her with curiosity written on his face. "Very good. Who is your friend, may I ask?" Belle could still feel his eyes on her. She swallowed and avoided looking at him for too long. "Her name is Elizabeth," She fidgeted, rather impatient to start working in order to send something home. Lord Gold rested both of his hands on his trusty cane, unsure of what to say. "Right. That's the end of it, then. My head housemaid will explain the details of your new employment and how to perform various tasks around the house now. She is downstairs waiting for you now. Adieu." Before Belle could say a word, Lord Gold had already hobbled away. She stared after him for a moment. Then with a shake of her head, she made her way downstairs.

Once she the end of the stairs, it became clear to Belle that the world down here was the polar opposite of the one she just came from. Directly in front of her was a long dingy table that looked like it was at least seventy years old. The wood was stained with food and cooking materials. The little light provided came from small candles scattered about the enclosure. At the far end of the room were two doors side by side. Belle assumed these belonged to the housekeeper and butler of the house. Along the landing and surrounding walls were where the servants quarters were located. Belle estimated that there was about twelve rooms, all side by side. Surely the kitchen was just around the corner, but it was too dark to see it from where she was standing.

"Hello," a pleasant sounding voice snapped Belle out of her trance. Standing before her was a woman who she assumed was the head housemaid. She was absolutely stunning, with long brown hair pinned up at the top of her head. Her eyes were a striking blue-green and her complexion was a stark contrast to her dark hair and red lips. Her work uniform did not do her justice. "I'm Ruby," she smiled warmly, showing off her bright white teeth. She held out her hand to Belle. "I am the head housemaid here." Belle quickly shifted her bag to her shoulder and shook Ruby's hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance." "So you must be Belle, then?" She continued. "Yes," Belle replied quietly. "Has..did Elizabeth tell you about me?" Speaking of, where was she? Belle thought to herself. Ruby looked at the brunette quizzically.

"Elizabeth? No dear, she was let go months ago."


	3. Chapter 3

Belle stared at Ruby in surprise. "W-what? When was she laid off?"

The head housemaid looked around the dark hallway before replying. "Just a few months ago." Belle's lips quivered. "But…why? She was my friend." Ruby reached out and laid her hand on her arm. "Do you want to know what really happened?" Belle nodded, even though she could tell Ruby was the type of person who would tell anyone anything whether they wanted to hear it or not. She led Belle over to the giant table and sat her down. She slowly sat down beside her. "About five months ago, Elizabeth started acting…strange. She wouldn't eat, for if she did she would throw it up straight away. She felt lightheaded after performing even the simplest tasks." Ruby shook her head. "Us servants had to cover for her for a very long time, until she became seriously ill. Elizabeth was bedwritten for another month, in which everyone thought she would die. Eventually Lord Gold ordered her to return home and go through the worst of it with her family." Ruby looked at the table, her hands clasped tightly on her knees. Belle swallowed. "What happened after that?"

Ruby quickly glanced up at Belle, her eyes hard and frightened. "Elizabeth suffered a miscarriage," she whispered. "I received a letter from her only last month."

Belle grasped her seat, struggling to accept the information she had just received. "But… that would mean…"

"It had to be a fellow who worked here, yes." Ruby hastily finished her sentence. "That's why she felt she could not return, she was mortified. She instead chose to stay at home in her village. Shame, too. She was such a hard worker."

Belle could understand that. Even when they were just children, Elizabeth always fretted about what others thought of her. Unfortunately, she often made rash decisions that she couldn't get out of, and didn't know how to accept the repercussions. Belle remembered a time when she and Elizabeth went to the market, and her friend stole a tomato. Everyone saw what she did, but she still tried to blame it on Belle. She cried when she got whipped by her mother and didn't come outside for weeks. It made sense that she would want to stay with her family for the time being but…Belle shook her head. _Elizabeth, what have you gotten yourself into this time?_ Belle vowed to send her some money and a letter as soon as she could.

The two women were silent for a long while. Then, Belle heard the sound of voices coming from the servant's back entrance. She immediately rose when she saw several people walk into the dining room. They stopped and stared at her. Ruby stood as well, and immediately began the introductions. "Everyone, this is Belle," She gestured at her with a smile. "She will be working here as a maid starting tomorrow." Belle dipped into a little curtsy. "How do you do," she said softly, looking at the floor. Ruby held her arm. "Belle, this is Cynthia, our scullery maid. She will be waking you up in the morning, every day." A blonde with dirty hands shot Ruby a dirty look. "Jus' call me Cindy," she held out her hand to Belle and smirked. She had a strong country accent. Ruby walked Belle further down the line of servants, her hand on her back for comfort. "This is Arielle. She just moved here from France, so she cannot speak much English yet. Hard worker though." Belle nodded and smiled at a tall woman with bright red hair and blue eyes, whom she assumed was Arielle. "Bonjour," she said quietly. "And here is Jasmine," Ruby smiled at the girl standing next to Arielle, pronounced her name with a "Y" rather than a "J." Jasmine flashed her teeth in a smile, their whiteness a stark contrast to her almond-colored skin. "Hi," she said cheerfully. "This is my friend Abir." The man with the same complexion standing next to her held out his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said warmly. Belle smiled at him and Jasmine, wondering if they were a couple. They certainly looked like one.

Ruby turned to face Belle. "I'm afraid Eric and James are in the stables, taking the horses back after our trip to the village. Mrs. Lucas, our cook, is upstairs with Mrs. Blanchard and Mr. Nolan right now, discussing dinner details with Lord Gold. Speaking of which-" Ruby was interrupted by a loud voice. "Dinner tomorrow is a five course meal," a man yelled down the stairs. Everyone in the room groaned. Belle was confused. Isn't this what they were used to? Ruby glanced at Belle, saw the expression on her face, and laughed out loud. "Master doesn't have important visitors too often," she explained with a humorous edge to her voice. Belle nodded hesitantly and looked at the group of people standing before her. "Then… what do you do all day?" The sudden explosion of muffled laughter made Belle anxious. Ruby rubbed her back. "You'll see soon enough, darling." She smirked.

Ruby clapped her hands and everyone looked up at her in surprise. "Right! So. Eric, go upstairs with Arielle and dust off Master's glass collection. Jasmine and Abir, you will clean his good silver. I will continue to show Belle around until she gets the hang of things. Then, we will prepare Lord Gold's dinner and have our own." Immediately after Ruby said her piece, the whole room scattered and in just two seconds, the dining room was occupied by only Ruby and herself. The brunette smiled. "Now, where were we?"


End file.
